1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel composition and an apparatus incorporating said fuel composition. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fuel composition and apparatus incorporating said fuel composition that is environmentally safe and inherently less dangerous.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous prior art portable cooking and heat generating apparatuses known. For example, typical of such portable cooking/heating devices include charcoal grills, propane and/or natural gas grills, camping stoves, etc. For the most part, these portable, prior art cooking devices employ fuel compositions, e.g., propane, natural gas, naphtha liquid (charcoal lighter) that are highly flammable. Invariably, these highly flammable materials used in portable cooking apparatuses are hydrocarbon in nature and frequently, because of incomplete combustion, tend to produce sooty smoke, which is environmentally undesirable. Further, in the case of widely used cooking apparatuses employing charcoal and conventional, liquid charcoal lighter, there is always the possibility that some of the liquid charcoal lighter is simply vaporized and picked up by the food being cooked. As is well known, charcoal lighter, and for that matter most hydrocarbons, are toxic if ingested. A further problem with cooking apparatuses that employ charcoal and liquid charcoal lighter as a fuel source is the fact that, because the charcoal is combustible, it leaves an ash that frequently causes messy disposal problems.
The safety hazards associated with hydrocarbon fuels are well known. Propane tanks, if not handled properly, can create a serious explosion problem; liquid charcoal lighter, when used improperly, can result in flare-up and severe burns to the users.
Obviously, what is needed is a portable cooking/heating apparatus and fuel or heat source that is non-toxic, minimizes or eliminates explosion hazards, minimizes clean-up and disposal problems and is environmentally friendly.